Kind of like me, Sarah thought as she turned her face to stare out of the window. Since the law is unable to do what is right, I’m taking matters into my own hands, and I’m going to kill Smoke Jensen for what he did to my brother.
After a moment spent composing herself and forcing her face into an expression of friendship, Sarah turned back around and faced Sally. “And did this country make your husband tough, Sally?” she asked, trying to keep the venom out of her voice and her expression pleasant.
Sally pursed her lips as she thought about the question. She didn’t quite know how to answer it. True, Smoke was as tough a man when provoked as she’d ever met, but with her he was invariably gentle and kind, and she knew that there was no man more loyal to his friends than her husband, or more fearsome to his enemies. So, she guessed Smoke was tough when he needed to be and gentle and kind when he was allowed to be.
Unable to put all this into words without sounding like a fool, she just shrugged. “I suppose Smoke became as tough as he needed to be to survive in those days, but thankfully, those days are gone now and he has little need for that ability nowadays.” She smiled at Sarah. “Nowadays, he spends his time with me on our ranch just outside of Big Rock, raising cattle and horses and being a boring old homebody.”
She glanced over Sarah’s shoulder and pointed. “And speaking of Big Rock, I do believe we’re pulling into town right now.”
Sarah followed Sally’s gaze, hoping her friends already stationed there wouldn’t be foolish enough to try to meet her at the station. She’d told Sally she didn’t know anyone in town, and she didn’t want them to make a liar out of her. She realized if she was to have any chance to get close enough to Smoke Jensen to do him in, she was going to have to have the trust of his wife.
She sighed. “Well, here I go about to start a new life for myself,” Sarah said. She looked at Sally. “I hope I’ll be able to find a nice place to stay and a good job soon.”
Sally didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” she said. “I know that Ed and Peg Jackson, who own the town’s largest general store, are always looking for someone to help out so that Peg can spend more time at home with the children, and there’s a very nice boardinghouse right on Main Street that caters to young, single women.”
Sarah forced herself to smile brightly. “Oh, thank you, Sally. I don’t know what I’d have done if we hadn’t met.”
Sally added, “Of course, if money is tight, you could always stay out at our ranch for a while until you’ve worked long enough to afford your own place.”
Sarah paused, considering Sally’s offer for a moment. True, that it would give her plenty of access to Smoke Jensen, and would make it much easier when she finally decided to kill him, but she would be severely limited in being able to contact her friends in town or to keep in touch with her father about the details of what was going on. She finally decided against accepting Sally’s offer, but she wanted to leave the door open for visits out to the ranch just in case.
“Oh, that is so kind of you, Sally, but my father made sure I had plenty of money when he sent me here. I have enough to tide me over until I get a few paydays behind me, but I would appreciate the chance to see your spread and visit with you if I get too lonely.”
Sally patted her arm and stood up, getting her valise from the overhead rack. “Well, you know that you’re always welcome, Sarah, and I’ll be sure to have you out to dinner once you’re settled in.”
As they moved down the aisle when the train had ground to a halt, among much screeching of brakes and hissing of steam, Sally said, “I’ll stop by the Jacksons’ place on my way out of town and tell them that you’ll be calling for a job.”
Sarah nodded, her mind elsewhere as she searched the small crowd on the platform looking for either Carl Jacoby or Dan Macklin. If she saw them, she was going to have to give them some sign to stay away until they could meet later, when no one was around to see them.
Fortunately, there were no familiar faces in the group waiting on the platform, and Sarah let herself relax as she handed a porter her claim ticket for her luggage.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be extra careful. Sarah decided to take her time exiting from the train so she wouldn’t be next to Sally in case her friends were out there waiting for her.
She went back into the ladies’ parlor room, and pretended to be fussing with her hat and dress in front of the mirror, giving Sally plenty of time to leave the car ahead of her.
SIX
Sally too was anxiously scanning the crowd, looking for her husband as she stood on the platform, her heart beating a little faster than usual in her anticipation of seeing and holding him again.
Just as she was about to give up, thinking that perhaps he hadn’t gotten her wire stating her arrival day, she saw him on the edge of the crowd, leaning up against the wall of the station house.
Gosh, but he looks good, she thought, flushing at the sight of his wide shoulders, heavily muscled arms, and tanned, handsome face. Even though his ash-blond hair was beginning to be streaked with touches of gray at the temples, he was still the best-looking man she’d ever seen, and the most desirable to boot.
She was glad to note the way his eyes lit up and his lips curled in a wide grin when he spied her. She dropped her valise and ran into his arms, inhaling the musky man-scent of him and sighing deeply with contentment. She was where she belonged, finally, and it had been a long time since she’d felt so safe and happy. She wondered briefly if he could feel the way her heart beat wildly in her chest at the touch of his arms around her.
She leaned back and looked up at his hair. Usually unruly, with a lock or two falling down over his forehead in a most appealing manner, it was shiny and slicked back and smelled faintly of pomade.
She grinned at him. “I see you’ve changed your hair,” she said, running her hands through it and mussing it up just as she liked it.
He blushed. “Oh, I thought I’d get a trim in honor of your arrival, so I let the barber whack a little bit off the sides.” He winced. “He put that smelly stuff in it before I could stop him, and I didn’t have time to wash it out ’fore your train was due to arrive.”
